Run the Edge rolls out virtual expo for ‘Run the Year’ 2016

Run The Edge, a motivational training community that launched the ‘most successful annual virtual fitness challenge in 2015’ has opened up registration for 2016 with new market offerings. Last year, Run The Edge inspired over 25,000 runners and walkers to ‘Run The Year’ and cover 2,015 miles in the year of 2015.

Starting on 1 January 2016, the inspiration and challenge continues with 2,016 miles in 2016. The early success of 2015 led to the devotion of making 2016 even more engaging and rewarding for participants. With this in mind, Run The Edge is unveiling a ‘first to market virtual health and fitness expo with a sneak peek in December, with exclusive offerings from leading industry experts that will only be available to Run The Year participants and will be fully functioning on January 1st.’

To join the ‘Run The Year 2016’ challenge, each participant will pay the annual membership cost of US$25 per person. The challenge is also open to groups of two, three or four people to ‘Run The Year’ together as a team. The solo challenge equates to an average running or walking distance of 5.5 miles a day for the year, the duo pair challenge equates to an average of 2.75 miles a day, the triple team challenge equates to an average of 2 miles a day, and so on.

A mileage tracker is offered as part of registration where progress is entered manually throughout the year from an application inside the online expo.

The online race expo will include several training booths with exclusive content tailored to the Run The Edge customer. The virtual online expo is built as a visual space where participants can learn insider training tips, seek nutritional advice, get information about injury prevention, interact in forums, and explore products and brands in the expo hall.

The Training Room and Aid Station of the virtual expo will provide participants with training plans from the 5K to the marathon, cross training advice, tips on injury prevention and recovery, and advice on running healthy and happy all year long. Contributors will include the Run The Edge Founders Olympian Adam Goucher and Behavioral Psychologist Tim Catalano, Professional Running Coach Jay Johnson, and Running Experts and Authors of Another Mother Runner, Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea, and more.

The Nutrition Bar within the virtual online expo will store shopping lists, nutrition tips, and recipes for eating healthy throughout the year provided by Lottie Bildirici (Running on Veggies), two time Olympian Kara Goucher, along with other nutrition experts.

The Community Forum will centre on the participants and will aim to be a place for people to interact with each other and share training tips and stories while encouraging each other throughout the year. Alongside the Community Forum will also be a Listening Lounge where the participant will find podcasts and be able to share their favourite playlists.

Inside the online expo will be an Expo Hall where all brand partners will host their interactive booths. This will include live technical representatives for the exhibiting companies that will be there to answer questions, provide product advice and offer customer support.

The expo brands will switch out quarterly. Some of the brands that will be featured in the first quarter will be Oiselle, Soleus, Dirty Girl Mud Run, and I Love to Run. Participants are encouraged to check in periodically for access to daily giveaways and downloadable swag bags such as coupons, discounts and other fun surprises.

“The amazing part of this past year was watching tens of thousands of people participate in a challenge together with consistent inspiration and motivation,” said co-founder Tim Catalano. “Watching the community with such charisma and dedication take over and drive the identity of Run The Year ultimately inspired us to create a whole new platform where we could truly give as many tools as possible for all of our participants to succeed.”

Run The Edge, based in Boulder, Colorado, is positioned as an all-encompassing motivational training system dedicated to helping all runners and walkers succeed by overcoming their own personal challenges. The team offer the Level Up training plans, have authored the best-selling book, Running the Edge, a philosophical and inspirational take on running performance, and created the premier annual fitness challenge Run The Year, and offer virtual runs for charity throughout the year.

The ultimate goal of Run The Edge is to help people around the world improve their fitness and overall wellbeing, and to encourage all levels of transformative growth through community support.